Thought for the Week
“If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” ~Unknown (sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein)
“Tragedy is that our attention centers on what people are not, rather than on what they are and who they might become.” ~Brennan Manning
“Perhaps, if you weren’t so busy regarding my shortcomings, you’d find that I do possess redeeming qualities, discreet as they may be. I quietly carry the burdens of others as though they were my own. And I say ‘I’m sorry’ when you don’t. I am not without fault, but I am not without goodness either.” ~Richelle E. Goodrich
“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying looking at the surface of the ocean itself, except that when you finally see what goes on underwater, you realize that you’ve been missing the whole point of the ocean.” ~Dave Barry
“To love a man enough to help him, you have to forfeit the warm, self-righteous glow that comes from judging.” ~Ron Hall
“Let today be the day…you look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.” ~Steve Maraboli
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you… For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” ~Luke 6:37-38
Don’t show me what I’m not,
help me see what I can be.
Mitch Teemley 
Amen!
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Well said Mitch plus judgement puts a wall between us and others whereas acceptance moves us closer
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Good point, Kate.
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Thanks 😊 Anita
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My pleasure, Anita.
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EXCELLENT!
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Yes! Shared this on face book. Thanks.
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My privilege, Eileen.
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For a few years now I’ve had similar feelings for when we give critical feedback. We often give NEGATIVE criticism by holding out the ideal, and then pointing out all of the shortcomings that SUBTRACT down to the person or their work that we are evaluating. Instead we could hold out the person or their work, POSITIVELY acknowledge how much they’ve already accomplished, and then highlight the good things they could ADD to go the rest of the way to the ideal.
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Spot on, Abe.
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Wonderful messages. When we focus on strengths instead of deficits who different life can be.
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Very true, Ali.
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Yes! Thank you. 😊
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My pleasure, Kelley.
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A wonderful post! 🙂
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Thanks, Colin!
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You are very welcome! You hit the perfect balance!!
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Simply beautiful, thank you!
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My privilege, Dana!
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Saved the best for last. Well played.
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Thanks, AJ.
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Words we should all take to heart and try our best to live by. Thank you for the reminders, Mitch!
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My privilege, Kellye!
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I love all of these quotes. I have to say though… that first one about the tree-climbing fish has a bit of an MT sound to it. Are you sure the author is unknown?
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I wish, Russell, but no, it’s not an MT original.
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Love the Steve Maraboli quote…yes, yes — see the good! 😉😉😉
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Yes indeed. Judging, always judging myself and my shortcomings and mistakes. Thinking, once again, ‘what’s the matter with me’ Nothing really, just the worthlessness engendered by the lie believed.
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Exactly, Norm.
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It always feels good when someone simply says something kind. Sorry your world still has icicles in it but they do split light into colours.
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Now, that’s the way to look at icicles, Sandy.
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you left off luke 6:36
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Hear, hear!
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Love this. Thank you for sharing.
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My pleasure, Manu.
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What a beautiful way to motivate my Monday! Each one speaks to me! Thank you for encouraging us, Mitch!
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My privilege, dear Karla.
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Had my attention at the first one.
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I love this post, Mitch. I’m glad for the reminder because sometimes I can so easily fall into the rotten trap of being overly critical.
I read a quote once that said, “You don’t remember people by what they say to you, but how they make you feel.” It went something like that. Sorry I can’t bring to mind who the quote belongs to, but it made a strong impression on me.
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There’s some uncertainty about who said it first, Lesley, and various versions of it are out there. Regardless, it’s a wise and true saying indeed.
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I couldn’t agree more. Our society has become so judgmental, and that’s not helping anyone. Encouraging people to do better is helpful, constantly pointing out faults and errors is not.
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Exactly, Ann.
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That Einstein fish quote has me thinking!
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Yes! A good one. We expect everyone to be just like us. We are born different and we didn’t get a vote! Our diverse gifts when used as a team are awesome, but often we see those with a different way of being in the world as the enemy. And it’s downhill from there.
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My husband was a problem solver. When I would read my poetry or articles to him, he would immediately make suggestions to make them better. It actually helped, because he usually was right. But I could only take so much criticism, so I quit showing him my writing. If he had reflected the main ideas back and shown that he “got” what I was trying to communicate, I think I could have profited more from his logical mind. I’ve learned to appreciate and most of the time use good critiquing, but it really helps if the positive feedback comes first.
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I get that, Eileen. Someone said (paraphrase), “Use a cup for praise and a teaspoon for criticism.”
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I always try to keep a more holistic picture on my mind. At least, as much as possible.
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Thanks for sharing the wisdom of these quotes, Mitch.
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Love these quotes, Mitch. I really needed the goldfish one today xx
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Absolute truth . . .
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